The Adventures of Little Finn: Boy Hero
by M.CooperJinks
Summary: Ever wonder what Finnick was like before the Hunger Games, back when he was just a young sea pup? Now you can! Join 8-year old Finnick Odair, on his quest for seahorses, while facing terrifying swamp monsters and rescuing beautiful damsels. Find out how Finnick Odair became "Boy Hero." Don't be a Barnacle Butt! Please Read and Review.
1. Legends of the Sea (Part 1 of 5)

****Disclaimer****

This is not real. I do not own the Hunger Games Universe or any of the characters taken from the series. This is strictly just for fun, and what I thought could be a fun back-story for Suzanne Collins' character, Finnick. This will not be nearly as serious as my first piece of Fan Fiction, 'Inferno.' I thought it would be fun to add more childlike innocence to the Hunger Games. The first chapter should be the longest one. The rest should be relatively short in comparison. And you don't need to worry about spoilers, since it takes place before the series.

Now you can join a young Finnick Odair in the most exciting week of his life. The week when he had to grow up a little faster than his parents would have liked. Each chapter will begin a different day in the week, when he had to stay home with a terrifying swamp monster.

Enjoy the Adventure!

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**The Adventures of Little Finn: Boy Hero**

**Legends of the** **Sea** (Part 1/5)

Life is good. I've finished a long day at school, the sun is shining and the sweet smell of victory lingers in the air. I'm making great time too. I can already see my house at the end of the road. There's smoke rising from the chimney of the old shack. Mom and dad must be home.

Hastily, I dash up the porch steps and fling open the front door. The old hunk of wood almost swings off its rusty hinges. Casually, I puff up my chest and walk in the house with pride. Right now, dad is filleting some fish and mom's cooking them over the fire.

"Mmmm… Smells like flounder," I declare. Dad nods, but doesn't look up. I continue to wait until I have his full attention. Eventually, his gaze shifts upward, so I decide to walk over to him. "Say dad, have you noticed a certain spring in my step today?"

He looks at me and then glances over toward mom and smirks. "Well of course. You have a good day at school Finn?"

"Well you may be pleased to know that today your son emerged as _Victor_," I exclaim.

"What?" My parents both jump in at the same time. I'm glad I have their attention now, but they seem to be less astonished and more upset than I was hoping for. Then I realized my choice of words. I had incidentally referred to myself as a _Victor_.

In our District, there's this group of people, whom we have labeled, the _Victors_. They are all previous winners of this show called the _Hunger Games_. I'm not too sure what it's about. My parents won't let me watch it yet. They've said I might get to next year, but right now they think I'm too young.

Well, I'll show them. After they hear what I've done today, I'm sure that I can prove that I'm man enough to watch it. Right now however, my parents' worried faces are ruining my proud moment.

Finally, I decide to explain. "Today at school we all got to go swimming and show our teacher how fast we were. I won every race. I'm officially the fastest kid in class. Way faster than stupid Sandy Rivera."

Mom doesn't even acknowledge the first part of what I said. "Now Finny, you be nicer to that poor girl. Her family has been through enough as it is."

"Okay, mom," I lie. Be nice to Sandy? That'll never happen. Sandy is my arch nemesis. She's always snooping around, and trying to start fights with me and my buddies. Even now, the very mention of her name has stolen all of my thunder.

Mom just feels bad for her cause her brother abandoned her family. I guess, one year he tried out for the Hunger Games, and he ended up losing. He was so embarrassed that he never even came back to District 4. You'd think the least he could do would be to say goodbye to his kid sister. For that, I guess I do feel a little bad for Sandy. She's still my sworn enemy though.

I remain standing silent in the kitchen, when Dad chimes in again. "Hey aren't you going to go out and see your pal, Wavely, before dinner."

"No," I reply. "Wavely is learning how to fish. He hasn't been able to play for the past four days. He's about as reliable as a dolphin's blowhole."

"Finnick, watch your language," Mom commands.

Dad just laughs it off and looks at Mom. "Really, a dolphin's blowhole? Not even sure what he means by that."

Quickly, I jump to the defense. "Tyler Rutters said he saw one once. Just as he got close enough to touch it, the dolphin's blowhole shot a bunch of water at him. The blast knocked Tyler to the ground, and then the dolphin laughed and swam away."

This story sends dad howling. I could tell mom thought it was funny too. She made one of those half smirks that she usually makes, when she wants to laugh, but doesn't think it's appropriate to.

After a couple of hours, supper was finally ready. Mom and dad finally congratulate me on my major achievement. Unfortunately, the celebration can't continue because they both are scheduled for night fishing, for the rest of the week. I don't mind. I can take care of the place. I'm a man now, after all.

As we finish eating, dad decides to go over the game plan for the rest of the week. "So, you'll have to manage the next few nights without us buddy," dad explains. "We've asked someone to stay over and watch you, while we're gone. Just make sure you're on your best behavior."

"Okay. Wait … What?!" I'm hoping I misheard. "I don't need anybody else. I'm perfectly capable of-"

Mom cuts in. "No Finn. You're not old enough to stay by yourself. Maybe in another year or so."

"Oh come on! I can't watch the Hunger Games. I can't stay by myself. You never let me do anything!" Mom looks agitated, but I continue anyway. "You better not be bringing that old swamp monster around here, to come watch me again." Appalled by my reaction, dad lets out a snort before mom shoots him a look.

"Finnick Odair." Mom is definitely upset now. She used my full name and everything. "I don't want to hear you call that nice old woman a swamp monster again. She is coming over and you are going to behave yourself. Do you understand?"

"Yes," I mumble, staring down at my plate. I can't believe it. How can I be the fastest swimmer at school, and still need someone to watch over me? My mom must be delusional.

As my parents get dressed and gather their equipment for work, I protest silently, throwing angry looks at them, each time they pass the kitchen. They pay no attention to my dissatisfaction. Before I know it, my parents are ready to leave and the swamp monster is already here. The front door screeches open, and in steps a frail old woman with a tattered brown bag that's at least, half her size.

As she clutches the old frayed bag, I swear I see it move. My eyes grow wide. The swamp monster must be hiding another child in there, for when she gets hungry later.

"Thanks again, for coming over to watch Finnick," mom expresses graciously.

"Oh dear, it's no trouble at all," the swamp monster replies. She has a quiet voice. I suppose it's so you have to lean in real close to hear. Then she'll snatch you and toss you into her bag. I'd think twice before coming within her reach. I'm too smart to fall into her clutches. "You don't need to worry dear. He'll be in good hands."

What does she mean I'll be in good hands? Has anyone even seen her hands? They are always kept hidden beneath her swampy green shawl. I imagine it's to hide the webbed fingers and claws. My parents don't suspect anything. The swamp monster has played them like fools, but not me. I'm too smart for her.

Before the she-monster could come any further, I duck down behind the kitchen table and climb into one of the lower cabinets. I crack open the door to peek out. Neither Mom nor the old hag seems to know where I've gone. It's the perfect hideout. That is, until dad spots me.

As dad enters the room, the first thing he does is look straight at me. He pauses for a moment, arches an eyebrow and smirks. Quickly, I shut the cabinet door. My cover is blown. In my head, I start planning my next move. I try thinking of other possible hideouts, when I realize dad hasn't said anything. He hurries mom out the door, and he hasn't given away my location. I may actually stand a chance against this primitive creature.

Once my parents have left, I peek out to find the swampy green shawl and the giant sack placed on the kitchen table. Now it's just me and the swamp monster. She calls my name, but I do not reply. I can hear her footsteps in the other room now. She must have stopped looking because I can hear the rocking chair on the other side of the house. It always makes a loud creak, when you sit in it.

Since I can't stay here forever, I try to plan out what my next move should be. I poke my head outside the cabinet. She can't see me from here. I look up at the kitchen table and once again I see her brown bag move. I now know what I have to do. I need to rescue the poor kid who inevitably waits in the bag. Once free, the two of us will make a run for it. No man left behind.

I climb out of the cabinet as quietly as possible. The bag moves again. I stand up and reach for it, and the bag moves again. I stop myself, when I realize the bag is already open. Could this be a clever trap set by the swamp monster herself?

I wait, but nothing happens. Then I lean in, and suddenly, a cat jumps out of the bag. I jump backwards and fall over. The cat sprints into the other room, when I hear the monster's voice again. "Oh Daisy, there you are."

It's clear that the cat and monster are in cahoots. And now they are coming this way. It's too late to return to the cabinet. That stupid feline would have told her where I was anyhow. All I can do is grab the old, worn-out sack and make a run for it. But the bag is heavier than I expected. The moment I pull it off the table it topples over, right on top of me.

I'm trapped. I hear the footsteps getting closer. I can't go out like this. There has to be a way out. I try to wriggle free, but it's too late. She's here.

"Oh dear, Finnick what happened? Let's get you out of there."

The dark silhouette of the creature advances, as the shadow of her arms reaches right for me. I can feel terror start to build up inside me until it finally bursts. "Keep away Swamp Monster! Stand back, before I banish you to whence you came!"

She seems confused. It's then I notice the floor. The contents of the tattered old bag have spilled out. Surprised, I see no child or blood or weapons of any kind. There's nothing dangerous at all. It's just a bunch of old books. I look up, and instead of webbed fingers and razor sharp claws, I see normal hands. They don't seem dangerous or menacing either. Mom was right. She really is just a regular old lady.

"I'm sorry," I say. "I thought you were a swamp monster."

The old woman just smiles. "So do you encounter swamp monsters often?" She asks.

I lie. "Of course, I have. I've fought them dozens of times. Sometimes even two at a time." Her eyes widen. She's definitely impressed. I glance down again. "What are all the books for?" I ask.

She kneels down and retrieves one of the books. "They're stories of legends and heroes of the seas. This collection has been with my family for hundreds of years. The stories come from the time before the creation of Panem."

I stare at the dusty covers with wonderment. I see men with crowns, men that ride giant fish and even men, who seem to be part fish. However, out of all the depictions, my eyes seem to be drawn toward one thing. A golden spear.

The spear is held by a half-fish man, and it extends into three prongs. It's a trident. I've only seen one once before. Apparently, there are only a handful of people, who still use them for fishing.

As I gaze at the golden trident, the old woman asks if I'd like her to read some to me. I nod almost immediately. One by one she tells about the legends of the sea. She starts with Poseidon, god of the sea. Then she moves on to a story about a merman named King Triton, followed by the adventures of Aquaman, a fearless underwater superhero.

For the last story, she specifically chooses one about a boy named Palaemon. She says that I remind her of him. The story describes a young boy, who was turned into a sea deity. Afterwards, the boy was known to ride dolphins and protect sailors, who were lost at sea.

At the end of Palaemon's story, I feel myself begin to drift off. "I hope that someday there will be someone, to write about my adventures," I mutter without realizing.

"I'm sure they will," the old woman says with a smile. "Especially with all of the swamp monsters you've faced."

**End of Part 1**


	2. Sugar Cubes and Seahorses (Part 2 of 5)

**The Adventures of Little Finn: Boy Hero**

**Sugar Cubes and Seahorses** (Part 2/5)

I'm not allowed to leave my room right now. When I got home, I accidentally made Mom cry, so now I'm stuck here, until Granny comes over. I'm not sure how exactly I started calling her Granny. I don't even know how grandparents are supposed to act. All of mine died before I was even born. I guess if they were alive today, they might act like her. I wonder if she even noticed. She didn't say anything about it. Oh well, I suppose anything is better than being called swamp monster.

I'm not really sure why Mom is upset. One minute she was asking me about my day and the next she was bawling. Then Dad saw, and before I knew it I was sentenced to life imprisonment. I know it's only been a couple of hours, but it's already felt like an eternity. There's nothing to do except count the cracks in the creaky floorboards.

Sluggishly, I throw my head onto my pillow and gaze up at the ceiling. Sometimes I like to pretend that I'm aboard a pirate ship, held captive, and left to wait in the brig. It helps pass the time at least. Nothing really puts the excitement in a timeout quite like swashbuckling pirates.

As I lay daydreaming, I can hear the echoes of a knocking at the front door. Sweet freedom, Granny is here. I never thought that I could be so excited to see someone I once believed to be a vicious swamp monster.

Quickly I break free of the brig, breeze past Dad and beat him to the front door. As I expect I find the little old woman with swampy green shawl waiting on the other side. "Granny!" I cheer.

She smiles back at me and gradually steps inside. Hurriedly I take hold of her arm and drag her away from my parents. I wait a moment for my parents to leave and then without hesitation I inform Granny of my unlawful captivity. Patiently, she listens and nods through my rant of how my parents have become insufferable tyrants.

When I've finished, Granny pauses for a moment to take in all that I've said. "What was it that you were talking about before your mother began to cry?" she asks.

"Nothing. All I did was, tell her how my day was," I exclaim.

"Well how was your day?" Granny asks. "Try to explain it just as you did to your mother."

At first, I hesitate. "You promise you won't cry, Granny?" She nods, so I continue. "Well today Gil Strotworth came to our class as a guest speaker. He had a couple of peacekeepers with him and he gave this amazing speech on what it's like to be a _Victor_. He explained how there is always this big welcome home celebration and he gets to live in the nice village and do whatever he wants all the time. Plus he's famous and everybody knows his name. So I told Mom that I want to be just like him when I grow up and she started sobbing."

"Oh," Granny mutters. Her face is serious as her eyes glance downward for a moment. It seems like she understands, but then she lets a smile return to her face. "It must have been just a misunderstanding Finnick. That's all. There's nothing to worry about."

I know she's not telling me everything. Grownups always avoid saying certain things around me, when it concerns the Hunger Games. I don't bother asking though. She said it's nothing to worry about anyway.

Granny changes the subject. "So did anything else exciting happen today?"

I think for moment, when I remember something important. "Tyler Rutters said he caught a real live seahorse. He said it was over seven feet tall too. I'm not sure if I believe him though. How do you tell the difference between a regular horse and a seahorse anyway?"

For a moment, Granny laughs. But then her eyes light up and she leans in close to whisper. "There's a trick to finding real seahorses. Do you want to know the secret?"

"Of course," I gasp.

"Okay, well it's a secret, so you mustn't go telling anyone." I nod and wait in anticipation before she continues. "The secret to catching a real live seahorse is sugar cubes."

"Sugar cubes?" I murmur.

"Yes," Granny answers. "Sprinkling sugar in the water will draw seahorses near, but the true test is to hold out a sugar cube in the palm of your hand. If the horse refuses, then he is a horse. If the horse eats the sugar cube, then he is a true seahorse."

I can't believe how simple it is. I thought seahorses were just make-believe. Now I find out that this whole time, I've been just a couple sugar cubes away from finding one for myself. In a hurry, I run to the kitchen and grab the jar, where mom keeps the sugar. "There are no cubes," I declare.

Thankfully Granny has a whole boxful in her bag. Carefully, she places a couple in my hand and says, "Remember Finnick, you don't just need sugar, but patience as well."

I place the cubes safely in my pocket, grab hold of the jar of sugar and rush through the backyard to the beach. At first, I just sprinkle a handful of sugar from the jar into the water. Then I wait a couple minutes as the cool water flows around my ankles.

No seahorses. Clearly the signal isn't strong enough, so I dump the rest of the jar into the waves. I pull the sugar cubes out of my pocket and hang on to them tightly. Immediately, I expect to get a glimpse of a seahorse bursting out of the water and galloping toward the shore, but there's still nothing. I stare intently at the open water, as the waves crash against my knees. There's not a single seahorse in sight. Maybe I didn't have enough sugar.

Suddenly, I hear the sound of galloping. Confused I look around, but there are still no horses in the water. It's getting closer and I'm still not sure where it's coming from. I wade out in the deeper water to get a better view, when I realize the sound is not coming from underneath the waves. It's coming from behind me.

Slowly I turn to face whatever approaches, and I can't believe my eyes. Riding atop a magnificent stallion is none other than Gil Strotworth himself. I don't know what to say. All I can do is stand there in awe of the legendary Victor and his trusty steed. Then I remember. I need to perform the test.

At once, I stretch out my arm and open my hand. "Oh no," I mumble. In all the excitement, I must have crushed the sugar cubes. I look down at the fine white powder with disappointment. Now how will I be able to test to see if this seahorse is legitimate or not?

Just as I begin to withdraw my hand I see the horse carefully trot closer. Then as soon as the horse is close enough to touch, its mouth opens, releasing a giant tongue, which mops up all the sugar in my hand. My eyes widen. Did that really happen? Did I really find a genuine seahorse? Shocked and amazed, I look up at Gil Strotworth, who then asks me the greatest question of my life.

"Would you like to go for a quick ride?"

Immediately I nod with excitement, and Gil lifts me up onto the back of the seahorse. Water splashes in every direction as we gallop through the crashing waves. Faster and faster we ride, until the shore begins to blur together. Eventually we turn from the shore and ride to my house, where Granny is waiting on the porch.

"Thanks for bringing him home Gil," Granny says with a smile.

Gil lifts me up and gently sets me back on the ground. "Anything for you, my dear. I wouldn't be standing here today without you," Gil replies with a wink before riding off to Victor's Village.

I remain standing perplexed and bewildered. "Granny, you know Gil Strotworth?" I ask.

"Of course," she responds. "Everyone does. He is famous after all."

**End of Part 2**


	3. Can You Keep A Secret? (Part 3 of 5)

******The Adventures of Little Finn: Boy Hero**

**Can You Keep a Secret?** (Part 3/5)

"Ahoy there!" I call out.

"Shiver me timbers matey," Wavely shouts back. He hurries to hop aboard our pirate ship while Tyler paddles towards the shore.

As soon as his feet touch the boat I turn to Tyler. "Okay take us out Rutters," I order.

Tyler stops. "Not until you use my pirate name," he retorts.

"Fine, take us out to sea, Tyler 'The Typhoon' Rutters!"

"Aye Aye Captain Strutworth!" Tyler cheers.

Right away Wavely's face changes from excited, to disappointed. "No fair. You guys already have pirate names? I want one," Wavely commands.

"Okay, you can be Wavely 'Squid Face' Jacobs," I exclaim.

"What?"

Tyler stops paddling to laugh. "Yeah, get to work Squid Face," Tyler chuckles.

"Shut up Tyler!" Wavely snaps. "Finn, I don't want to be Squid Face."

"C'mon Wavely, you are our navigator. You even get to hold the treasure map and tell 'The Typhoon' where to go." I reassure Wavely by handing him the map that I had drawn up earlier in the day.

Eagerly Wavely accepts the map. "Fine," he sighs. A playful smirk stretches across his face. "Hurry up Rutters! Can't you paddle any faster?"

"Hey, if you don't like it, then you can walk the plank Squid Face."

"Fine." Wavely throws Tyler a look, and almost immediately jumps over the side into the water, map in hand.

"Wavely you ruined the map!" I yell. "It's all wet now! How are we ever supposed to find the buried treasure?"

"You will never find the buried treasure. Not unless you can defeat Squidface, the most dangerous kraken in all the seas." Wavely latches onto the ship and begins to rock it, in attempt to flip it over.

"Captain Strutworth, we've been hit! The beast is dragging us down to our watery graves." Tyler leaps on top of Wavely, in order to pry his arms loose from the ship.

I jump in to help fight off Wavely, but stop shortly. I'm overcome with rage and panic. There is a greater danger approaching from down the shore. Something more fearsome than a bloodthirsty kraken. Something that signaled for our impending doom. Sandy Rivera.

I know she's spotted us. Sandy turns away from shore and walks down the dock straight for us. And she's not alone. Yet another bad sign. Most of Sandy's friends are just as vicious as she is. As they grow nearer I can feel my stomach begin to churn. Wavely and Tyler haven't noticed. Completely oblivious, they both continue to fight for control of the boat, splashing water in every direction.

Sandy and her friend are getting close. I can make out, who the friend is now. I wave of relief hits me. It's just Annie.

She's a little quiet, but thankfully she's not a pain like the rest of Sandy's friends. I don't think I've ever heard her say a bad thing to anyone before, which is weird, since that's all Sandy ever does. I always kind of wondered how the pair of them even became friends in the first place.

"Hello Wavely," Sandy says sharply. The cold tone to her voice is enough to shock Wavely out of his kraken demonstration, and make his entire face go pale. "What exactly are you and your idiot friends doing?" I can never understand why she's always so harsh to Wavely. It's probably because out of the three of us, Wavely never fights back.

Wavely freezes. He floats in the water silent. I wouldn't be surprised if the temperature of the water surrounding him increased a few degrees.

I can tell that Sandy isn't finished, but before she can utter another word, I cut in. "Geez barnacle butt, haven't you ever seen a pirate before."

Tyler lets out a snort. Sandy shoots him a glare, before turning back to me. "Well Finhead, don't real pirates usually have a ship?"

"What the heck do you think me and Tyler are floating on out here?" I snicker.

Sandy just smiles. "Looks like some twigs that three idiots tied together."

That's it. You can insult a great deal about a man, but never his ship. At once I cry out, "Aargh, Keep back you Sirens! You cannot take me crew. You may sing sweet songs, but we have tamed a kraken into doing our bidding."

This perks up Wavely. A smirk crosses his face and immediately he swims out to the dock. With a roar he leaps out splashing water all over Sandy's dress.

At that moment, Sandy let's out the loudest shriek I have ever heard. Normally, Wavely would have backed down, but as a kraken he's become fearless. Instead of giving in, he chases Sandy all the way down the dock, and then keeps chasing her. I sit with Tyler amazed by Wavely's newfound courage, when Tyler decides to abandon ship to get a better view.

I jump ship to join Tyler, but as stop when I hear giggling off to the side. Over on the dock, Sandy's friend Annie is sitting, dangling her toes in the water, while watching her friend screeching like a banshee.

"You want to come in?" I ask. "The water's not too cold today."

Annie looks around a little, before responding. She doesn't seem too sure that I'm talking to her. "I can't get my clothes wet," she says.

I tread a little closer. "You know, I was mainly talking to Sandy when I called you both sirens. I don't really think you're a siren," I reassure her.

Annie still seems a little confused. "What's a siren?"

I jump out of the water onto the dock, excited that I finally get to share some of the legends from Granny's old books. "Well they are basically these creatures that lure sailors in by singing to them. And then they drag them to the bottom of the ocean and eat them."

"Oh," Annie mutters. "Well I'm glad you don't think that I am one," she says with a smile.

"Are you sure you don't want to go for a swim?" I ask as I hop back in the water.

For a moment Annie pauses. She seems a bit nervous by my asking this question again. Then she leans over to whisper to me. "Can you keep a secret?"

"Of course," I say. "I'm practically a master tradesman of secrets. Once I hear a secret, it never passes through my lips again."

Annie giggles and smiles again. "Okay." She leans in closer now. I never really noticed how green her eyes were before. They have the same green tint that the water does. I can hear her begin to whisper, but I can't tell what she says. I decide to pull myself up a little on the dock, so I can get closer to her. Then she tells me her secret. "The reason I can't go swimming with you is because I don't really know how to."

I throw her a look of disbelief. "What? Do you mean you don't know how to swim?"

All at once the color drains from her face. Her eyes grow big as they stare off behind me. I didn't notice the silence before. No roars from Wavely, or shrieks from Sandy. There is just the calming sound of the water. I turn to see why. Wavely, Tyler and Sandy were all standing behind us. And judging by the looks on their faces, they had heard everything I just said.

Tyler and Wavely start to chuckle. I look at Sandy and she's a mess. Her hair is everywhere, and her dress is full of grass stains. Annie and I must have missed quite the show. I turn to Annie again and her eyes look like they're about to burst with water. Some has already started to trickle down her cheeks.

Immediately, Annie gets up and runs away, tears streaming down her face. That's the last time she'll probably ever talk to me again. She trusted me, and I wasn't even able to keep her secret for two seconds.

"Smooth move Finhead," Sandy barks before catching up with Annie.

I should have known better. I'm no good at keeping secrets.


	4. Saving the Damsel (Part 4 of 5)

**The Adventures of Little Finn: Boy Hero**

**Saving the Damsel** (Part 4/5)

I slam the door, when I get home. Mom and Dad must have gone to work early because Granny is at the kitchen table. "What's wrong?" Granny asks.

"I'm furious," I declare.

"Oh, I see. What is it that has infuriated you so, Finnick?"

"Today, I have lost my best friend," I cry. "Today, Wavely Jacobs has become the enemy."

A look of concern crosses Granny's face. "Now Finnick, are you sure you and Wavely can't patch things up. You two are such good friends."

"We were good friends, Granny. Now, Wavely must accept the consequences of his traitorous act."

Granny gasps. "Oh dear, that does sound serious. May I ask what crime he has committed?"

I sigh, and then pause for a moment. "Today, Wavely Jacobs has been found guilty of smooching with the enemy, Sandy Rivera."

Granny actually starts laughing, which catches me off guard. This is a colossal offense, and she finds it amusing. My eyes dart away. I refuse to look at her. "Oh Finnick," Granny sighs. She places her hand gently on my shoulder. "You can't be so hard on Wavely. If he really likes her, then you should try to be more supportive. He is your friend after all."

I say nothing. I can't believe she's actually taking his side. She must have gone senile today. That can be the only explanation.

Her hand vanishes from my shoulder as she walks into the other room, toward the rocking chair. "One day you'll understand," Granny says. "One day you'll find a girl that you like, and then maybe you won't be so harsh on poor Wavely."

Poor Wavely? She's making him sound like the victim. I don't think I can take anymore betrayal today, so I storm out the front door. There's only one thing that can calm me down, at this point. I turn to face the shore. The waves are coming in. All I can think of is the swimming in the cool, refreshing water. The very thought has caused my rage to subside somewhat. So I stomp down the cove, leaving behind a trail of deep foot prints in the sand. People will see them and know. They will see the footprints and know Finnick Odair was here, and he was angry.

At once, I sprint to the water and leap into the waves. The cool rush passes through my whole body as I let myself submerge to the bottom. For a moment, I remain incredibly still, as if I were a sponge soaking up all the water surrounding me. Then, with a quick burst, I resurface, stroking and kicking as fast as I can. The faster I swim, the more my anger seems to fade. The rage almost seems to seep out through my body, where the water carries it far away.

I realize I should probably turn around. I don't want to swim into the fishing zones. I stroke backward slowly, so I can stay in the water for as long as possible. I even stop stroking a little while, so I can just drift back to shore. It's incredibly relaxing, letting the waves take control. It's just me and the water, floating around without a care in the world.

Suddenly, something crashes into the water. I lift my head up, and tread to get a better view of what happened. I scan the waters nearby, but I can't seem to find what made the noise. It isn't until I look over by the docks that I see what it was.

A few yards away, from the nearest dock, there is a person flailing around in the water. Then I hear a loud scream. In that instant, my arms turn into propellers, slicing through the water with ease. This must be the fastest that I've ever swam, because I reach the person in just a few short seconds. It's a girl about my size, so I'm able to hold her above the water and tread over to the dock. I hoist her up first, before pulling myself onto the dock. I feel just like the heroes in Granny's books. The same heroes, who save damsels in distress, from the treacherous waters.

I don't realize, who I've just saved, until I hear her soft whisper. "Thank you." I look up to see two beautiful green eyes staring back at me. I can't believe it. I just saved Annie Cresta.

"What are you doing out here?" I ask.

Embarrassed, Annie blushes. "I thought I could teach myself how to swim," she admits.

"You should be more careful," I advise. Then it hits me. I almost forgot. I hadn't finished saving her yet. "You should lie down," I tell her. "I've heard that if you are drowning, and someone doesn't perform CPR right away, you could die."

"Oh," Annie says startled. "Well ha-have you ever performed CPR before?" She stammers.

"I saw a fisherman do it once. It looked easy enough," I assure her.

"Alright then," Annie agrees, as she lies back down on the dock.

Carefully I push down on her chest a few times. She remains very still, but I can tell she looks worried that she might not pull through. I reassure with a smile, and as calmly as possible press my lips against hers. Hers are actually quite soft.

"What the heck are you doing?" Annie and I both jump. I know that voice. And judging by the look of embarrassment on Annie's face, she's standing right behind me. "Annie, please don't tell me you were kissing that pond scum," Sandy snaps.

"He was giving me CPR," Annie begins. Sandy arches an eyebrow at us, but waits for Annie to explain. "You see, I tried to swim by myself and I nearly drowned. I was screaming for help, and that's when Finnick came along and saved me."

"Oh." Sandy looks stunned. For a brief moment even, she's actually speechless. "We should probably go anyway," Sandy continues. Before turning to walk away, she looks at me and smirks. "Good job, Finhead."

I look over at Annie again; whose face is still bright pink. It makes her eyes appear even greener, when she glances over at me. "Thanks Finnick," she mumbles. Then she hurries off to catch up with Sandy.

My heart seems to be beating faster than normal. I guess it must have been all the swimming.


	5. Maggie the Swamp Monster (Part 5 of 5)

**The Adventures of Little Finn: Boy Hero**

**Maggie the Swamp Monster **(Part 5/5)

I wake up and stretch. It's still dark out. The sun won't rise for another hour or so. I suppose, it's because I went to bed as soon as I got home from school. I wish I would have spent some time with Granny. It's her last night here, since Mom and Dad won't be working the night shift anymore. But I didn't really feel like talking to anyone yesterday. Not after what happened at school.

As I walk into the other room Granny is sitting in the rocking chair reading. Her eyes gaze up from her book toward me. "You're up early. Is everything alright?"

"No," I mutter. I'm afraid to talk about what happened, but at the same time I need to tell someone about yesterday.

"What's wrong Finnick? Did something happen at school?" Granny asks.

Silently, I nod. I'm afraid to speak, but I know I'll have to.

Granny promptly closes the book she was reading and sets it down on the floor. She then picks me up and lets me sit in her lap. "Alright, tell me everything," she says.

I try to find away to back out of it. "Are you sure that you want to know?" Granny nods before I can even finish the question and waits patiently for me to speak again. "Well yesterday I was eating lunch with Wavely and Tyler. Then Annie and Sandy came to join us."

Granny cuts in. "That's good. Isn't it? The five of you are getting along now."

I know she's trying to comfort me, but I haven't gotten to the bad part yet, so it's not really helping. I continue anyway. "We were getting along for a little while. Then Sandy mentioned her brother. I had always wondered about him, so I asked why he ran away from home after he lost in the Hunger Games. It was just a question, but she got all upset and started yelling at me. She said he never ran away. He died. Sandy told me that's what happens when you lose the Hunger Games. She says the only way to win is to kill other kids." I remain quiet for a couple seconds, before I work up the courage to ask what I've been waiting to hear. "Is she telling the truth?"

Without a word Granny nods. Hopeful, I wait for any words of comfort, but I know there is nothing she can say.

I feel sick, but I need to know more. I feel as though I could burst from all the unanswered questions swimming around my head. "How could they do it?" I protest. "How could the Victors kill all those other kids?"

Granny puts her arm around me. "Because they were afraid," she says. "And then that fear turned them into something else. They weren't themselves anymore. Not really."

"How do you know?"

Granny takes a moment to look at me. Then she asks, "Have ever heard the story about District Four's first Victor?"

I shake my head. I would have remembered if it was in any of Granny's books.

The story wasn't in any of her books though. And so, without anything to read from, Granny begins her story. "_Once upon a time there was a little girl named Maggie. This was no ordinary little girl. Although she did not know it, this girl would be cursed. _

_When the girl turned twelve, she was selected to represent District 4 in the 7__th__ annual Hunger Games. Not only was she the smallest in her Games, she had also never fought before. She had never even touched a weapon. Thankfully, the boy, who was chosen from her District, acted as her protector. He was strong and skilled in how to throw a spear. He could have joined forces with the strongest of combatants, but he was brave. He didn't want the aid of a group of trained warriors. Instead he chose the tiniest of his competitors to be his ally._

_With what time he had, he taught the girl how to carry a weapon. He trained her how to fight. And above all, he showed her how to survive. _

_By the time the Games were ready to begin, Maggie felt confident. She stepped into the arena focused on nothing, but survival. As the tributes scattered, Maggie was the only one to run toward the darkened corner of the arena. She had chosen to take shelter in the swamp._

_She didn't know it then, but it was in this very swamp, where she would be cursed. The longer she stayed, the more of the little girl disappeared. Little by little the girl faded away, until she had transformed into a monster._

_Eventually, the other tributes would venture into her swamp. One by one, they perished before her, until only a few remained in the entire arena._

_Through the mists of the swamp, Maggie could never see the sky. She was never able to see it light up with the faces of the fallen tributes. All she could do was count the booms of the cannon. _

_Overtime, she had made it through twenty-two booms, eight of which were sounded for those she had overtaken in the swamp. However, the 23__rd__ boom was drawing near. Maggie could feel it. She could hear the final tribute approaching through the mist. Carefully she grasped a wooden spear she had carved and coated with poisonous frog venom. Patiently she waited, until without hesitation, she leapt in the air, and drove the poison tip into the heart of the final tribute._

_The fog was thick. She did not see the boy until he had hit the ground. When she was finally close enough, she saw the boy who had trained her, smiling up at her. In that moment she knew. He had not trained her to survive. He had trained her to defeat him._

_Staring into his eyes the curse had faded. The monster was gone and the little girl had returned. But a piece of the curse still remained. She could still remember all of the tributes she had killed. The girl broke down crying in the arms of her protector. In return, he held the brave little warrior until the sound of the 23__rd__ cannon echoed throughout the arena._"

The story had really taken its toll on Granny. When she finally finished, I could see tears begin to well up in her eyes. All I could think was that maybe she knew the girl in the story.

Quickly I try to calm her. "It's not really the girl's fault," I say. "She can't help it, if she gets turned into a swamp monster."

Granny wipes her eyes and responds in a quiet tone. "No, I suppose she couldn't."

The front door creaks open. I had almost forgotten it was morning already. Mom and Dad are home, which meant it was time for Granny to leave.

I can't stop thinking about the story she just told me. There is still so much I want to ask, but instead I watch Granny collect her shawl and her tattered bag, before making her way toward the door.

"Thank you for helping us this week," Mom says graciously. "I hope Finny wasn't too much trouble."

"Oh he was wonderful company," Granny says. "Eight years old and he's a little gentleman already." She waves goodbye to me, before turning to my parents to say farewell.

"Alright, take care Mags."

"Maggie, we really do appreciate it."

I don't believe it. She's the little girl from the story. She's Maggie. This whole time I carried on without ever knowing her name. How could I not have known? I guess part of me must have. The moment she set foot in this house, I was already calling her swamp monster. I just never knew that I would ever meet a nice one.

Immediately, I race out of the house. I need to tell Wavely and Tyler what I've discovered. I continue sprinting to the beach, and just as I'm about to turn toward Wavely's house, I see Annie sitting on the dock. She's by herself, so I figure I'll go say hi.

I try to sneak up behind Annie to surprise her, but she catches me right away. "Hey Finnick." I'm not sure how she caught me. She seems to be focusing really hard on knotting a short length of rope.

"Whatcha doing all the way out here?" I ask before taking a seat next to her.

Annie doesn't look up from the frayed piece of rope. "My parents are fighting so I decided to come out here and distract myself from everything," she mutters softly.

I jump up. "Well why didn't you say so," I declare. "Teachers at school always tell me that I'm very distracting." I give her a wink.

Annie giggles. "I think I should stick to tying knots for now."

I continue watching her make a couple more knots, when I get an idea. "Hey Annie, how about we make a deal?" She looks up at me curiously, so I explain. "Well I'm no good at tying knots, so what if you taught me how to make a few and in return, I'll teach you how to swim?"

A smile stretches across her face. "Okay," she agrees excitedly.

We make our way down the dock, to the shore, when I start coming up with other potential distractions. "Once were done, I can show you how to catch seahorses too," I brag.

Annie laughs, but she doesn't really believe that I know how. She'll be so surprised. I almost forgot.

"Do you have any sugar cubes?"

**The End**

M. Cooper Jinks


	6. Epilogue

****Disclaimer****

_Unlike the rest of the story, this will contain **spoilers** for those, who have not finished the series._

* * *

**Epilogue**

_Mr. and Mrs. Odair_: The couple lived out the remainder of their lives in District 4.

_Wavely Jacobs_: Eventually, Wavely and Sandy married after the war. Together they had three children, who would never have to be exposed to the trauma of the Hunger Games.

_Sandy Rivera_: Sandy Rivera became Sandy Jacobs after the war. She chose Annie to be her Maid of Honor.

_Gilbert Strotworth_: Mentoring children that would never return home took its toll on Gil. Eventually, he grew so emotionally distressed that he decided to run away from Panem altogether. In an attempt to flee District 4, Gil mysteriously drowned before he could make his escape. As a result, his own mentor had to return to the Games to take his place.

_Tyler Rutters_: Tyler was reaped for the 70th annual Hunger Games alongside his friend Annie. He was later beheaded during the games.

_Annie Cresta_: Annie was reaped for the 70th annual Hunger Games. In the beginning, she joined the career pack with her District 4 partner, Tyler Rutters. Annie later broke apart from the careers and was driven to insanity, after witnessing the death of Tyler. For the remainder of her games she hid until an earthquake broke a damn which flooded the arena. She survived by being the best swimmer, thanks to a little boy, who had taught her how, long ago. Years later, Annie married Finnick in District 13 and gave birth to a baby boy.

_The Swamp Monster/Granny/Maggie/Mags_: In her late seventies Mags suffered a stroke, which hindered her ability to speak. At the 3rd Quarter Quell, Mags volunteered, in order to protect Annie Cresta. During the Games she sacrificed herself to save the little boy, who once called her swamp monster, from a poisonous fog. This was the last time anyone saw the legendary swamp monster.

_Finnick Odair_: Finnick was reaped for the 65th annual Hunger Games. Using a net and a trident Finnick would snare and spear his enemies. This led to Finnick becoming a Victor, at the age of fourteen. For nine years thereafter, Finnick was a mentor for District 4 tributes, including Annie Cresta and Tyler Rutters. By the tenth year after his victory, he was reaped again at the 3rd Quarter Quell alongside his mentor Mags. During the games, Finnick watched as the woman, whom he once called Granny, sacrificed herself to save him. This was the last time he saw his old friend.

According to Mockingjay, Finnick Odair died amongst squad 451, while in combat in the Capitol.

According to Inferno, Finnick Odair…


End file.
